Pentagon City was abuzz with security personnel today as President Trump delivered a speech to a conference at a local hotel.
The president spoke at the 2020 Council for National Policy conference, hosted in the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton hotel. He arrived around 11:45 a.m. and spoke for more than an hour, before departing via motorcade back to the White House shortly after 1 p.m.
Before the crowd of several hundred top conservative activists, President Trump spoke at length on a variety of topics.
The topics, according to White House presspoolreports, included Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the economy, China, vaccine development, mail-in voting, and Israel. The president’s full remarks are below.
Via Twitter, Pentagon City residents noted major police activity in the area, including road closures and a helicopter overhead. Reporters covering the event noted that many conference attendees did not seem to heed requests to physically distance and wear masks in the ballroom.
Andy Penn, a well-liked veteran of the Arlington County Police Department, will serve as acting chief after the retirement of Chief M. Jay Farr next month.
Penn, who started as an ACPD patrol officer in 1992 and has served as deputy chief since July 2015, will temporarily assume the top job on Saturday, Sept. 5. The department has launched a national search to find Farr’s permanent successor.
More from a press release:
Charles “Andy” Penn will become Acting Chief of the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) on Sept. 5, taking over from Police Chief Murray “Jay” Farr, who is retiring after 30 years of service in the Police Department.
Penn has served as Deputy Chief of Police since July 2015. He is a 28-year veteran of the Arlington County Police Department, beginning his career as a patrol officer in 1992. Penn currently serves as the commander of the Operations Division, overseeing the daily operations of two Patrol Sections, Community Resource Section, Tactical Operations Section, Operation Support Section and the Special Operations Section. See full bio.
“Deputy Chief Penn’s experience and professionalism will help lead our Police Department during this transitional period,” said County Manager Mark Schwartz. “He has helped to build our well-respected Police Department, and his deep knowledge of the community will be immensely important in this role.”
“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to continue serving the Arlington community as Acting Chief of Police,” said Deputy Chief Penn. “I thank Chief Farr for his exceptional and steadfast leadership to the dedicated men and women of the Arlington County Police Department over the last five years.”
National Recruitment for New Police Chief
The County Manager also is launching a national recruitment effort for a new Chief of Police this fall. The recruitment process also will include several opportunities for community input beginning in October. There will be no decision on final candidates until sometime after the work of the newly formed Police Practice Group is completed in December.
Police on scene of Bozzelli’s burglary in Crystal City (photo courtesy Bozzelli’s)
Bozzelli’s burglary in Crystal City (photo courtesy Bozzelli’s)
Police on scene of Bozzelli’s burglary in Crystal City (photo courtesy Bozzelli’s)
Someone smashed their way into several restaurants in the Crystal City area, at a time when many are struggling as a result of the pandemic.
The break-ins happened between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, in and around Crystal City. Among the victims was Bozzelli’s. The Italian restaurant and pizzeria, which has five outposts in D.C. and Northern Virginia, had the glass door of its 2600 Crystal Drive location smashed in, and cash and other items stolen.
“Bozzelli’s was the target of a burglary in a late night string of heists,” the company said in a statement to ARLnow. “[At least] three restaurants were burglarized in and around Crystal City… Police are working to collect security footage from surrounding buildings to identify the perpetrators. They are also working to find any witnesses.”
“The timing is very unfortunate because like most restaurants we are just trying to survive the pandemic,” said owner Mike Bozzelli.
“If the culprits would have stuck around until the cops came we could have made them a pizza,” he joked.
More on the Bozzelli’s burglary from an Arlington County Police Department crime report this morning:
BURGLARY, 2020-08200039, 2600 block of Crystal Drive. At approximately 5:46 a.m. on August 20, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just discovered. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 9:00 p.m. on August 19 and 5:46 a.m. on August 20, an unknown suspect(s) forced entry to a business, causing damage, and stole items of value and an undisclosed amount of cash. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.
The crime report lists three other business burglaries from around the same time, though the names of the businesses are not revealed.
BURGLARY, 2020-08200024, 2900 block of S. Glebe Road. At approximately 2:50 a.m. on August 20, police were dispatched to the report of vandalism. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 12:00 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., an unknown suspect(s) forced entry to a business, causing damage. Nothing was reported stolen. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.
BURGLARY, 2020-08200037, 1400 block of S. Fern Street. At approximately 5:45 a.m. on August 20, police were dispatched to the report of vandalism. Upon arrival, it was determined that at 2:56 a.m., an unknown suspect forced entry to a business, causing damage, and tampered with items. Nothing was reported stolen. The suspect is described as a male, unknown race, wearing a gray hoodie, gray mask, and khaki pants.
BURGLARY, 2020-08200051, 1200 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 8:17 a.m. on August 20, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just discovered. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 5:00 p.m. on August 19 and 8:05 a.m. on August 20, an unknown suspect(s) forced entry to a business and stole an undisclosed amount of cash. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.
(Updated at 9:50 a.m.) After holding steady for more than a week, the number of new coronavirus hospitalizations in Arlington have jumped over the past few days.
Eleven new hospitalizations have been reported since Tuesday, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. The cumulative total now stands at 448.
Two new coronavirus deaths were also reported in the county on Thursday, the first in three weeks, bringing the cumulative total of local fatalities to 137.
The new hospitalizations and deaths come as new cases in Arlington remain elevated. The seven-day trailing total of new cases hit a new summertime peak of 176 yesterday, but has since come down to 160, with 26 new cases reported today.
Arlington’s COVID-19 test positivity rate, meanwhile, continues to tick up. It currently stands at 5.5%, compared to 4.3% one week prior and 6.6% statewide.
Northern Virginia has been lagging D.C. and Maryland in combating a rise in cases this summer, though the region as a whole has made progress. More from WTOP:
The region’s positivity numbers for COVID-19 are the lowest they’ve been in over a month, after seeing a spike from June’s phased reopening. When each area loosened coronavirus restrictions, there was a surge of infections that lasted through most of July.
Maryland’s positivity rate is now 3.29%. D.C.’s positivity rate is 3.2%.
Northern Virginia is still struggling. The area saw an increase last week but the positivity rate has dropped back below 6% in the last few days.
B-52 Flyover Attracts Attention — A B-52 Stratofortress flew low and loud over Arlington Thursday morning, likely as part of an Arlington National Cemetery funeral, turning plenty of heads. [Twitter, Twitter]
Va. Coronavirus App Gets Positive Reviews — “I often use this column to warn about the dangers of apps that track you. This time, I’m going to recommend you actually install one. There’s a new kind of app that uses your smartphone’s Bluetooth wireless signals to figure out when you’ve been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus… It’s called Covidwise, and works in the state of Virginia.” [Washington Post]
Pedestrian Committee Chair Slams County — “‘The response that we got back from the County Manager’s Office and senior County leadership was that pedestrians are not a priority,’ said Eric Goldstein, Chair of Arlington County’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC), during the group’s first virtual meeting last week.” [Street Justice]
New W&OD Trail Detour Monday — “Upcoming construction activity for the new W&OD Trail Bridge over Lee Highway (Route 29) in Arlington will require a trail detour for about two weeks beginning Monday, August 24.” [Press Release]
ACPD Food Drive Deemed Success — The Arlington County Police Department’s “Fill the Cruiser” food drive collected just over 6,500 pounds of food last week. [Arlington Connection]
D.C. Area Leads in Tech Leasing — “Among the 10 markets reporting the most tech leasing volume in Q2, the year-over-year change in tech leasing activity ranged from +71% (Atlanta) to -74% (San Francisco Bay Area). Washington, D.C., and San Diego were the only other markets with volume increases, while Manhattan also had a large decrease. The five markets with the most leasing volume in Q2 were Washington, D.C., San Francisco Bay Area, Atlanta, Manhattan and Dallas/Ft. Worth.” [CBRE via Potomac Tech Wire]
Scenes from an NAACP and Black Lives Matter rally and march in Arlington (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington House, as seen from the Kennedy gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery in 2011 (staff photo)
Arlington House in Arlington National Cemetery in 2014
Former Arlington County logo on basketball court in Waverly Hills (staff photo)
Since 1972, Arlington House — the recognizable Greek revival mansion atop the hill in Arlington National Cemetery — has been officially called “Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial.”
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is now planning to propose legislation that would remove the Confederate general’s name.
Beyer said today, as first reported by the Associated Press, that it’s time to drop Lee from the official name of the house, from which Arlington County gets its name, logo and seal. The general lived in the house, but its history goes beyond his time there, both before — it was built by George Washington’s adopted son around the turn of the 19th century — and after — when it was seized during the Civil War.
“The choice of Lee’s home for the site of a national military cemetery was intended to be a punitive measure against Lee, who himself said after the Civil War that he opposed erecting Confederate monuments,” Beyer said in a statement sent to ARLnow. “Given these considerations and requests from members of the community, including descendants of enslaved people in the area, I am working on legislation to remove the reference to Robert E. Lee from the official name of Arlington House.”
“Part of the reckoning with the history of racism and slavery in America and in our own community has been a reexamination of public symbols,” Beyer continued. “I absolutely support that process, including the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue from the U.S. Capitol and taking other actions that make it clear we do not revere Confederate leaders or approve of the cause for which they fought.”
Beyer’s push to remove the name comes as Arlington County is in the midst of a series of proposed renamings, some brought about by the national racial reckoning that followed George Floyd’s killing at the hands of police.
The Arlington branch of the NAACP, meanwhile, called last month for Arlington’s logo and seal to be redesigned in order to remove Arlington House from each, calling it “divisive and racist” and “a symbol of a slave labor camp.”
(Updated at 5 p.m.) Crossing Four Mile Run on Columbia Pike on foot or bike can be nerve-wracking, with scarcely any space separating pedestrians from the busy street. A new project set to get underway in a few months should make that crossing a little easier.
The Columbia Pike Four Mile Run Bridge Pedestrian Enhancements project will bump out the northern sidewalk along westbound traffic to 10 feet, double the current five feet. Vehicle travel lanes will, in turn, be slimmed down.
The project also will add lighting to the northern side of the bridge.
There is currently nothing except the curb separating pedestrians from vehicles, but the project will add guardrails in spots to help improve safety.
“The sturdier guardrails will be installed at the approaches [but] not on the bridge itself,” said county transportation spokesman Eric Balliet. “The expanded sidewalk will remain 9″ tall to provide protection for pedestrians.”
Balliet said there’s no word yet on when the improvements will be completed.
“The project is currently in design,” he said. “Implementation of the bridge enhancements is expected this fall, but we don’t yet have a start or end date for the work.”
The project arose out of public feedback from the Columbia Pike west end project, in which local residents said the sidewalks were too narrow and the too poorly lit to feel safe traveling along the bridge at night.
Armed robbery at Ballston Sunoco station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Armed robbery at Ballston Sunoco station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Armed robbery at Ballston Sunoco station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 11:35 a.m.) A man armed with a gun reportedly robbed the Sunoco at the corner of Washington Blvd and N. Glebe Road this morning.
The broad daylight robbery happened just before 9:45 a.m. Police are on scene and are currently searching for the suspect, who fled on foot.
No injuries have been reported.
Around 10:45 a.m., Arlington County police were notified of a robbery that just occurred at a gas station on the 6300 block of Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners, by a gun-wielding man with a similar description to that of the suspect in the Sunoco robbery.
More Accessible Parking in Busy Areas — “The County has installed an additional 60 ADA-accessible on-street parking spaces for a total of 212. The spaces — located throughout eight areas of high residential and business density — feature meters with near field communication (NFC), allowing customers to pay by waving a smartphone within a short distance. The adjusted parking areas also allows for easier access to popular areas throughout the County.” [Arlington County]
Ballston Cafe Serves Kids for Free — “When local schools closed in March — and their cafeterias along with them — Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe began offering free weekday lunches to school-age kids on a walk-in basis. As of late July, the restaurant had provided nearly 3,000 such meals.” [Arlington Magazine]
Yglesias on Arlington Housing — “How much study do you need to know that houses are expensive in Arlington and most of the country is zoned to make adding units illegal?” [@mattyglasias/Twitter]
I-66 Lane Closures This Weekend — “Single-lane closures on eastbound I-66 just before the bridge over Lee Highway (Route 29) at Exit 72 will occur (weather permitting) between 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 and 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24 for road repairs.” [VDOT]
Reminder: Ballston Taco Bamba Opening — “The new 1,500 square foot restaurant is the fifth Taco Bamba in Virginia. Set to open on Thursday, Aug. 20, the takeout taqueria will feature ‘a bar program, a small patio and a brand-new menu of nuestros tacos, in addition to the taqueria’s traditional favorites.'” [ARLnow]
Final design concept for Henry Clay Park, now Zitkala-Ša Park (Image via Arlington County)
Henry Clay Park renovations in progress in March 2020
Henry Clay Park renovations in progress in March 2020
Henry Clay Park renovations in progress in March 2020
As renovations are underway for Henry Clay Park, some local residents are hoping for one more additional change: getting rid of the name honoring slave-owning former Secretary of State Henry Clay.
Clay, who represented Kentucky in Congress before and after serving as Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams, fought a duel in Arlington: at Pimmit Run in 1826. Neither participant was wounded and no Broadway musicals were written in Clay’s honor. Though he owned slaves and had a negative view on a multiracial society, Clay was opposed to slavery and freed those he enslaved upon his death.
The Lyon Park Civic Association is now hoping to change the name to one honoring Zitkala-Ša, a Native American writer and political activist who lived in the neighborhood from 1925-1938, the Falls-Church News Press first reported.
“The Lyon Park Civic Association has requested that the park be renamed the Zitkala-Ša (Red Bird) Park,” confirmed Susan Kalish, spokesperson for Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation. “They presented their request at the July 28 Park and Recreation Commission meeting.”
Kalish said after receiving the request, the proposal will be reviewed by the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board and the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee.
“The Park and Recreation Commission will consider the renaming request again after they receive comments from these citizen advisory groups and adjacent civic associations,” Kalish said. “Once the commission approves the name, the County Board will make the final decision on the proposed park name.”
Henry Clay isn’t the only slaveowner in Arlington whose name could be removed from public property. Arlington County is also currently considering renaming Lee Highway, named for Confederate general Robert E. Lee.
Whatever its name will be, Kalish said renovations to the park at the corner of 7th and N. Highland streets are still on track to be completed by the end of the year.
“While the pandemic caused delays in procurement and site furnishing manufacturing,” Kalish said, “it all came together and the community will see a new basketball court, playground, open field and picnic shelter with updated site circulation, site furnishing, fencing, drainage and landscaping.”
Arlington County firefighters are battling a small fire in a garden apartment building in the Westover area.
The fire was reported in the basement of the Fisher House apartment building at 5705 Washington Blvd. Initial reports suggest the fire started in the laundry room and was extinguished by firefighters, but not before producing heavy smoke and prompting a second alarm response.
Firefighters are now working to remove smoke and to ensure that the fire is completely extinguished. Washington Blvd is currently blocked by the emergency response.
So far there is no report of injuries.
#finalupdate fire in laundry room of apartment building. Fire is extinguished, no injuries reported to occupants or firefighters. Smoke smell will remain for some time, residents with questions should contact building management company for guidance.
